1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system provided with a user terminal connected through a communication network and a transmission server that sends prescribed information to a wireless terminal such as a pager that expresses by means of characters or voice information from a user terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, portable wireless terminals for individual use such as portable telephones, personal handy phone systems (PHS) and pagers have become common. With such portable wireless terminals, exchange of speech or data can be performed using wireless circuits.
Furthermore, as computer communication networks typified by the Internet have become widespread, data communication between computers has become easy.
In this connection, a technique has been proposed whereby, with a portable telephone or PHS (sending-side wireless terminal), voice data or character data is sent to the server on the provider side through the Internet and this server sends prescribed information based on the voice data and/or character data that it receives to the receiving-side wireless terminal (for example, a pager). In this technique, it is desirable that the sending terminal device should be capable of transferring prescribed information to the receiving wireless terminal.
For example, in Early Japanese Patent Publication No. H.3-289854, an electronic mail system is disclosed in which a voice input mark is inserted in received mail and the received mail is read out loud at the receiving end; when the voice input mark is detected, reading out loud is interrupted, and reply information can be received by putting the voice input mechanism into operable condition. With this system, received electronic mail can be listened to by ear and a reply thereto can be input by voice, so the effort required in replying can be reduced. Also, an electronic mail system is disclosed in which, since input can be effected by voice, replies can be sent from telephones and replies from the destination are possible.
In this system, the correspondence between the message information of the electronic mail and the voice information is one-to-one and the message information is uttered by being converted for example into standard speech. Of course, with this method also, it is information that is transmitted. However, if it is sought to transmit information more precisely, the difference between character message information and voice information must be considered. Specifically, although the intention to be transmitted is expressed by the characters contained in the message information, the intention that is expressed is subtly changed by selection of voice, selection of feeling of urgency, and selection of emotional expression of mood, in addition to the characters contained in the voice of the voice information that is uttered. For example, even the same expression, which, if pronounced clearly might be rather strong, if said rather more softly, becomes a more gentle expression. Consequently, in order to accurately express the intention, it is desirable to be able to represent emotional expressions such as tone colour, feeling of urgency and mood.
Also, when information is transferred from a sending wireless terminal through the server at the provider end to another terminal, in order to compress the amount of data, it is desirable that, rather than simply sending the voice or characters without modification, it should be possible to convert the voice or characters, depending on the conditions and the application. And for example, many varieties of humorous expression are possible by using for the language, instead of standard speech, Tohoku dialect or Kansai dialect etc. or languages such as English, French, German, Russian or Chinese.
Also, it is desirable that the user should be able to receive desired information independently of the type etc. of the receiving terminal device.
Furthermore, since the performance and efficiency of processing change depending on whether the processing is performed at the terminal or the server at the provider end, a suitable apportionment of roles is necessary.